FILE NO 9110406 WORLD TRADE CENTER TASK FORCE INTERVIEW FIRE MARSHAL JOHN COYLE INTERVIEW DATE DECEMBER 28 2001 TRANSCRIBED BY LAURIE COLLINS
COYLE CHIEF KING TODAYS DATE IS DECEMBER 28 2001 THE TIME IS 1101 HOURS THIS IS BATTALION CHIEF STEPHEN KING SAFETY BATTALION FDNY AM CONDUCTING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUAL FIRE MARSHAL JOHN COYLE FROM BROOKLYN BASE SQUAD 34 THIS INTERVIEW IS REGARDING THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11TH 2001 JOHN WHENEVER YOURE READY YOU CAN START THAT MORNING HAD WORKED THE NIGHT BEFORE WITH JOE MAZZARELLA NOT PARTICULARLY BUSY NIGHT REMEMBER WE WERE ALL PRETTY MUCH UP HAVING COFFEE DOWNSTAIRS AT THE BASE HERE STEVE HEAVEY WAS OVER NEAR THE DEPARTMENT RADIO WHICH WAS ON HE SUDDENLY TURNED AROUND AND SAID PLANE HAS HIT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER EVERYBODY LOOKED AT HIM AND SAID WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE TV WAS ON THERE WAS NOTHING ON THE TV YET REMEMBER COUPLE OF US WENT OUTSIDE AND LOOKED AND YOU COULD SEE SMOKE COMING FROM ONE OF THE TOWERS YOU COULD JUST SEE IT IF YOU WENT AROUND THE CORNER OF THE
COYLE PARKING LOT FEW SECONDS LATER MINUTE LATER OR SO SUPERVISOR LYNN CAME OUT OF HIS OFFICE AND SAID EVERYBODY GOES SO EVERYBODY STARTED GRABBING THEIR GEAR AND TAKING AS MUCH GEAR AS YOU COULD WE WANTED TO TAKE BASICALLY OUR BUNKER GEAR AND HELMETS AND EVERYTHING WE COULD LAY OUR HANDS ON WENT TO MY CAR HAD HALLIGAN GRABBED THAT WE THREW EVERYTHING INTO THE CARS IT WAS MYSELF JOE MAZZARELLA STUCK WITH ME AND JOHN MURRAY WAS IN THE CAR ALSO JUST AS WE WERE ABOUT TO PULL OUT THE SECOND PLANE HIT EVERYBODY WAS FLABBERGASTED WE TOOK OFF WAS DRIVING ACTUALLY JUST BEFORE WE TOOK OFF ASKED DAVE LYNN SAID HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE HE SAID YOUVE GOT TO TAKE THE BATTERY TUNNEL THEYVE CLOSED EVERYTHING ELSE DOWN THATS FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES ACTUALLY SAID TO HIM WHAT ABOUT SECONDARY DEVICES THAT WAS THE ONLY THING REMEMBERED FROM TERRORIST TRAINING WAS WATCH FOR SECONDARY DEVICES AND DONT GO RUSHING INTO
COYLE SOMETHING THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AT THAT POINT TERRORIST ATTACK BECAUSE TWO PLANES HAD HE SAID THATS THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GO YOURE NOT GOING TO MAKE EVERYTHING ELSE IS CLOSED DOWN SO TOOK THIRD AVENUE WE REALLY WENT VERY FAST WE CUT IN AND OUT OF TRAFFIC SIREN GOING WE GOT OVER HAMILTON AVENUE THEN TO THE BATTERY TUNNEL IT LET US THROUGH JUST PUNCHED IT THROUGH THE TUNNEL BECAUSE FIGURED DIDNT WANT THE THING COMING DOWN ON ME IN CASE THERE WAS SOME OTHER PROBLEM WITH THAT ACTUALLY LATER ON WAS TALKING TO SOME OF THE GUYS COUPLE DAYS AFTER THAT AND SAID MUST HAVE BEEN GOING 75 THROUGH THAT TUNNEL ACTUALLY MURRAY TURNED AROUND AND SAID NO WAS IN THE BACK SEAT WE WERE GOING 89 WE CAME OUT OF THE TUNNEL AND THERE WERE RIGS EVERYWHERE THERE WAS DEBRIS FALLING FROM BUILDINGS BECAUSE THATS BASICALLY WHERE IT COMES OUT SO JUST WHEELED THE CAR AROUND AND PARKED GUESS IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE RECTOR PLACE OR SOMEWHERE LIKE THAT JUST TO THE LEFT OF
COYLE THE EXIT OF THE TUNNEL ACTUALLY IT TURNED OUT TO BE BLOCKED FROM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER THINK BY BUILDING WHICH ALLOWED US TO DRIVE AWAY LATER THEN WE GRABBED ALL OUR GEAR WE POPPED THE TRUNK EVERYBODY GRABBED THEIR BAGS AND STARTED WALKING UP TOWARDS THE WORLD TRADE CENTER COMPLEX GUESS IT WAS RICHARD MCCAHEY WAS WALKING AROUND THERE AND THEY SAID EVERYBODY ASSEMBLE IN FRONT OF ONE WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER SO ALL OF US AT LEAST ALL THE MARSHALS WHO CAME ON THAT SIDE OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER STARTED ASSEMBLING THERE WE WERE PROBABLY 20 TO 40 FEET IN FRONT OF THE WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER BUILDING ON LITTLE RAISED PLATFORM JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE SOUTH PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE IT SEEMED TO US FROM THAT VANTAGE THAT YOU WERE DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE SOUTH TOWER ALTHOUGH WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MAP IT SEEMS TO BE OFF CENTER YOU COULD SEE LOTS OF DEBRIS FALLING FROM THE BUILDINGS WHAT LOOKS LIKE RIBBONS ALMOST INITIALLY LITTLE FINE PIECES OF METAL AND EVERYTHING BUT AS THEY
COYLE FELL YOU REALIZED THESE WERE ENORMOUS CHUNKS OF MATERIAL COMING DOWN THERE WERE LOT OF PEOPLE JUMPING THAT WAS HORRIBLE WAS SHOOK UP HAVE NEVER BEEN THAT SHAKEN UP BY ANYTHING BEFORE WAS STANDING THERE AND COULDNT BELIEVE THAT YOU COULD SEE PEOPLE APPARENTLY HOLDING THEIR COATS OUT TO TRY AND FLY OR SOMETHING AND THEN ADJUSTING TO THE LANDING IT WAS FUCKING AWFUL ANYWAY REMEMBER JOE MAZZARELLA WHO WORK WITH LOT SAID JUST DONT LOOK AT IT WE WERE ALL KIND OF SHAKEN FIREMEN ARE ALL MARCHING IN WE WERE TOLD STAND FAST DONT MOVE HAD MY HELMET ON MY RADIO WITH ME DONT THINK HAD ANY OTHER GEAR ON AT THAT POINT HAD MY HALLIGAN WITH ME IN CASE WE COULD DO SOMETHING IT WAS LITTLE FOGGY AS TO WHAT ANYBODY COULD DO AT THAT POINT WASNT SURE WHAT ANYBODY COULD DO IT DIDNT SEEM YOU COULD PUT THOSE FIRES OUT THEN REMEMBER SEEING DR KELLY WALK BY REMEMBER CIVILIAN MIDDLE AGED COUPLE BUSINESSMAN IT LOOKED LIKE BUT THEY SEEMED TO
COYLE BE TOURISTS OR SOMETHING STANDING NEAR US HE WAS KIND OF SMILING AND POINTING AT THE THING AS IF IT WAS TOURIST ATTRACTION WITH HIS WIFE BELIEVE HE STOOD THERE FOR FEW MINUTES FINALLY HE SAID SOMETHING TO ME HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS BUT STILL WITH THIS KIND OF DOPEY GRIN ON HIS FACE SAID WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE HE WAS LIKE WELL THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE OR WHATEVER SAID IF WERE YOU WOULD GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT HE KIND OF LOOKED AT ME FUNNY AND THEN STARTED WALKING AWAY IT SEEMED THERE WAS PHOTOGRAPHER THERE NOT FAR FROM US WITH LOT OF CAMERAS ON HIM STEVE HEAVEY AND SUPERVISOR GROGAN HAD COME IN ANOTHER CAR RIGHT BEHIND US THEY WERE THERE TOO WE WERE ALL STANDING KIND OF TOGETHER GROGAN MIGHT HAVE BEEN SITTING AT THE MOMENT THIS THING HAPPENED REMEMBER GLANCING TO MY RIGHT AND JOE MAZZARELLA WAS AT THAT MOMENT LOOKING UP SUDDENLY SAW HIS FACE LIKE LOOK OF COMPLETE TERROR AND HE JUST TURNED ON HIS HEEL AND TOOK OFF RUNNING STARTED RUNNING AFTER HIM AND
COYLE LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER THE TOWER WAS IT LOOKED TO ME THOUGHT IT WAS EXPLODING ACTUALLY THATS WHAT THOUGHT FOR HOURS AFTERWARDS THAT IT HAD EXPLODED OR THE PLANE OR THERE HAD BEEN SOME DEVICE ON THE PLANE THAT HAD EXPLODED BECAUSE THE DEBRIS FROM THE TOWER HAD SHOT OUT FAR OVER OUR HEADS IT WAS RAINING DOWN RAN SOUTH AND THEN MADE RIGHT ONTO ALBANY STREET WHICH WOULD BE RUNNING WEST TOWARDS THE WATER HEADING TOWARDS THE WATER WAS COMPLETELY CONVINCED THAT WAS DEAD THAT HAD NO CHANCE OF MAKING IT AWAY FROM THIS THING AS GLANCED UP THOUGHT THERES NO WAY CAN OUTRUN THIS THING THERES ABSOLUTELY NO WAY BECAUSE IT SEEMED TO HAVE GOTTEN SO FAR BEYOND THESE MASSIVE PIECES OF STUFF
COYLE RAN DOWN THE STREET WITH PIECES ACTUALLY FALLING AROUND ME THE FASTEST IVE EVER RUN PIECES FELL AROUND ME THAT BIG CLOUD THING ENVELOPED ME AS MADE THE TURN GUESS MADE LEFT ONTO END AVENUE THE FIRST LEFT BUT IN MY MIND REMEMBER THINKING TRYING TO GET AWAY THOUGHT THE BUILDING MIGHT BE FALLING OVER COMPLETELY AND WAS TRYING TO CALCULATE IN THAT FRACTION OF SECOND OTHER THAN THINKING OF MY DAUGHTER AND THINGS LIKE THAT HOW FAR IS THAT BUILDING GOING TO FALL ITS GOING TO CRUSH THESE OTHER BUILDINGS FIGURED IM JUST TRYING TO ZIGZAG MORE OR LESS AWAY THE DEBRIS CLOUD ACTUALLY BLEW PAST ME ON ALBANY CAME OUT OF IT FOR SECOND ON END STREET AND THEN IT CAME DOWN IN FRONT OF ME TOO AND WAS CAUGHT IN IT KEPT RUNNING COULD JUST SEE ENOUGH TO RUN AND DOVE INTO THE LOBBY OF BUILDING RESIDENTIAL BUILDING IT TURNED OUT THERE WERE BUNCH OF CIVILIANS IN
COYLE 10 THERE AND MORE PEOPLE STARTED COMING IN WENT BACK OUT AND STARTED PULLING PEOPLE IN EVERYBODY WAS COVERED IN THIS DUST REALLY SUPER COVERED BUT NOBODY KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED STILL THOUGHT IT HAD EXPLODED SOMETHING HAD EXPLODED STARTED BANGING ON APARTMENT DOORS AND ACTUALLY FOUND WOMAN WHO WAS DOING CONSTRUCTION IN HER HOUSE SHE HAD BUNCH OF DUST MASKS SHE GAVE ME ALL THE DUST MASKS AND SHE GAVE ME BUNCH OF TOWELS SAID WET THESE TOWELS SHE GAVE ME AN ARM LOAD SAID LETS WET ALL THE TOWELS AND WELL HAND THEM OUT TO ALL THESE PEOPLE KEPT DUST MASK FOR ME GAVE ONE TO COP THAT WAS THERE HANDED OUT ALL THESE TOWELS AND THEN WENT BACK OUT LOOKING FOR PEOPLE PULLED GUY AND HIS DAUGHTER IN THEN STARTED WALKING PRETTY MUCH AWAY FROM IT WITH EVERYBODY ELSE DOWN THE ESPLANADE AT THAT POINT HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAD HAPPENED IT SEEMED THAT THE THING HAD BLOWN UP DIDNT KNOW WHAT THIS DUST WAS WHETHER IT WAS PART OF THE BUILDING OR WHAT THE HECK HAD HAPPENED
COYLE 11 THERE WAS HUGE CROWD WALKING DOWN THE ESPLANADE RAN INTO BRIAN GROGAN AFTER FEW MINUTES HE SEEMED ALMOST IN SHOCK WE DIDNT REALLY SPEAK MUCH IT WAS SENSELESS CHATTER ON THE RADIO COULDNT MAKE HEADS NOR TAILS OF IT GOT DOWN TO THE BATTERY THINK THATS WHERE ENDED UP KNOW WAS AT THAT FORT AT SOME POINT THEN THE OTHER TOWER CAME DOWN WHEN THAT DUST CLOUD CAME AGAIN GAVE MY MASK TO LITTLE GIRL WHO WAS WITH HER FATHER RAN SOUTH THEY WERE IN ONE OF THOSE LITTLE NOOKS IN THE FORT THEN KIND OF WANDERED BACK UP ENDED UP UP NEAR THE EXIT FOR THE BATTERY TUNNEL AGAIN TRYING TO GET BACK TOWARDS THE THING THEN HEARD ON THE RADIO ALL MARSHALS ARE TO REPORT TO AND HAVE NO IDEA WHERE IT WAS OH NEAR THE JEWISH MEMORIAL THING MADE MY WAY OVER THERE FOUND MAZZARELLA ALL THE GUYS WHO WERE WITH US WERE OKAY WE STOOD THERE FOR FEW MINUTES AND EVENTUALLY SAID WE SHOULDNT EVEN BE HERE THIS IS THE JEWISH THING THIS IS TERRORIST
COYLE 12 THING THIS IS DUMB PLACE TO HE STANDING THIS THING MIGHT BLOW UP NO EVERYBODY THINK AT THAT POINT STILL THOUGHT THESE THINGS WERE BLOWN UP SO WAS FULLY EXPECTING ANYTHING ELSE TO BLOW UP THINK WE MENTIONED THAT OR SOMEBODY MENTIONED IT TO ONE OF THE SUPERVISORS AND THEN THEY SAID OH YEAH OKAY THEN THEY TOOK US DOWN TO THE VERY END OF BATTERY PARK NEAR RESTAURANT AND MADE US SIT THERE FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE HOURS BUT IT WAS HOURS EVENTUALLY WE WERE ALL WANTING TO GO BACK UP AND HELP THEY WERE SAYING NO YOU HAVE TO STAY RIGHT HERE WELL MAINTAIN CONTROL WHICH MADE NO SENSE FINALLY THEY SAID GO SEE IF YOUR CAR IS OKAY IF YOU CAN GET YOUR CAR OUT BRING IT BACK HERE WE WENT BACK UP ME AND MURRAY AND MAZZARELLA FOUND THE CAR WHICH WAS COMPLETELY COVERED IN RUBBLE BUT WASNT REALLY DAMAGED BADLY WE CLEARED THE WINDSHIELD OFF GOT IN IT AND DROVE IT BACK TO THE BASE OF BATTERY PARK THEN AT SOME POINT THEY SAID OKAY WE RE REASSEMBLING NOW UP ON WEST STREET
COYLE 13 GUESS ITS THE WEST SIDE HIGHWAY THERE ITS QUITE BIT UP THERE WAS SCHOOL AND THEY USED THAT AS AN ASSEMBLY POINT DONT KNOW THE ADDRESS MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN IT WE DROVE BACK UP THERE PULLED IN OUR CAR WAS PROMPTLY SURROUNDED BY RIGS WE WENT INTO THIS THING AND STOOD AROUND FOR MORE HOURS WELL IT WAS HOURS WITH THE COPS DONT REMEMBER THAT MANY FIREMEN REMEMBER MARSHALS COPS RUMORS WERE SWEEPING THAT THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT WAS DOWN THE SEARS TOWER WAS DOWN ALL THE STUFF LIKE THAT EVENTUALLY WE MADE OUR WAY BACK DONT REMEMBER HOW TO MANHATTAN BASE THEY SAID GO GET YOUR CAR AGAIN EVENTUALLY WE WENT TO GET THE CAR WE WERE INSIDE THE PERIMETER MORE OR LESS THATS WHERE THE CAR WAS OF WHERE SEVEN WORLD TRADE CENTER WAS WE STARTED BACK GOING EAST GUESS IT IS DONT KNOW WHAT STREET IT IS LETS SEE SIX OR SEVENTH WE WERE PROBABLY HERE
COYLE 14 MURRAY MURRAY IM GUESSING WE STARTED GOING BACK EAST WE WERE INSIDE THIS PERIMETER ALTHOUGH WE DIDNT REALIZE IT AT THE TIME WE SAW RIG WITH THE COMPARTMENTS OPENED WE STOPPED THEY WERE ACTUALLY REVERSING KIND OF PULLED UP ALONG SIDE THEM MURRAY YELLED OUT THE WINDOW YOUR COMPARTMENTS ARE OPEN THE GUY YELLED SOMETHING BACK AT US THEY KEPT BACKING UP WE WENT FORWARD TO IMAGINE ITS THE CORNER OF MURRAY AND WEST STREET JUST AS WE WERE APPROACHING IT WE SAW PERSON RUN NORTH IN FRONT OF THE CAR AND THEN JOE MAZZARELLA WHO WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT JUST STARTED SCREAMING REVERSE REVERSE REVERSE REVERSE DIDNT EVEN LOOK JUST THREW IT IN REVERSE AND PUNCHED IT WE FLEW BACKWARDS WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE OUT THE REAR AND BUILDING SEVEN CAME DOWN IN FRONT OF US AT THAT POINT WE JUST PARKED THE CAR PULLED IT OVER AND WE WALKED BACK AND LEFT IT THERE UNTIL MUCH LATER IN THE NIGHT WHEN THEY TOLD US TO FINALLY RETRIEVE IT
COYLE 15 WHEN YOU BACKED UP DID YOU GO ACROSS WEST STREET IM GUESSING IF WE WERE ON MURRAY WE PROBABLY APPROACHED WEST WHATEVER THIS IS HERE BECAUSE IT CAME DOWN BASICALLY LIKE THIS RIGHT IN FRONT OF US JUST REVERSED IT BACK TO THE STREET HERE WOULD YOU SAY AND DEBRIS WENT PAST MURRAY STREET OH YEAH IT WAS LIKE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE GIANT CLOUDS IT SHOT THROUGH HERE DIDNT EVEN KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AT THAT POINT WHILE WAS DOWN AT BATTERY PARK FINALLY GOT THROUGH ON MY PHONE TO MY FATHER AND SAID IM ALIVE JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU GO TO CHURCH IM ALIVE JUST SO NARROWLY ESCAPED THIS THING HE SAID WHERE WERE YOU YOU WERE THERE SAID YEAH WAS RIGHT THERE WHEN IT BLEW UP HE SAID YOU WERE THERE WHEN THE PLANES HIT SAID NO WAS THERE WHEN IT EXPLODED THE BUILDING EXPLODED HE SAID YOU MEAN WHEN IT FELL DOWN SAID NO WHEN IT EXPLODED STILL DIDNT REALIZED WHAT HAD
COYLE 16 HAPPENED TOTALLY THOUGHT IT HAD HEEN BLOWN UP THATS JUST THE PERSPECTIVE OF LOOKING UP AT IT IT SEEMED TO HAVE EXPLODED OUT BUT THAT GUESS WAS THE FORCE OF THE UPPER STORIES COLLAPSING DOWN THATS REALLY IT AFTER THAT THEN THEY HAD US KIND OF COMPILING LISTS OF MISSING MEMBERS AND THEN GOING TO THE VARIOUS STATIONS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO HAD BEEN WORKING AND WHO HAD JUMPED ON THE RIG AND COMPILING ALL THESE LISTS THEN WE RETURNED BACK TO MANHATTAN BASE AFTER THAT WE JUST STAYED HERE FOR ABOUT THREE DAYS AT THE BASE SLEPT ON THE FLOOR IN THE WEIGHT ROOM THEN THEY HAD US UP THAT MORNING OKAY JOHN THATS GOOD CHIEF KING THE TIME IS 1119 HOURS AND THE INTERVIEW WITH FIRE MARSHAL JOHN COYLE IS CONCLUDED